Ignition
Story Prologue It was 7:00 PM in Copper Canyon. Thick sheets of rain pelted anyone unlucky enough to be out without an umbrella. Thunder boomed in the distance and lightning struck often, sometimes tangoing around cars, and other times, striking them, and setting off their car alarms, adding to the cacophony. The streets were muddy and the lights were dimmed. People huddled inside of their houses, not daring to leave. The only place where there was activity outside was the THI building, towering above the rest of the city's buildings, it's giant red insignia overlooking the city's financial district where all the city's big companies were based. One car pulled up to the front and a man in a heavy black coat stepped out. He hurried to the door and they opened for him. He stepped inside and presented his security card to the front desk clerk. The clerk, a big man with muscles that looked like he belonged in a boxing ring, grunted and nodded his head. The mysterious man ducked into a side room labeled with the words Employees Only, and shed his heavy coat. Beneath it he wore a pristine black and red suit, and a red tie. He headed toward a room in the back and hopped into it. He pulled out his key card and swiped it, and the room started to move upwards. The elevator climbed high into the building, it dinged, the doors opened, and the man stepped out. The man was in the THI Conference Room, on the 30th floor. At the head of the table sat another man clad head to toe in grey and red armor. He looked fearsome and he seemed to radiate evil. The man was not very fond of these "conferences" but they had to be done. He boldly stepped forward and cleared his throat, "We have not located any more TURBO Energy Sir. I fear it is all gone." "You have failed me once again, Naught", rasped the man at the head of the table, "You know failure has consequences." "Y-yes sir," stammered the man. The man at the head of the table rose to his full height and lumbered across the room. The man could've taken him out, but he couldn't take out his entire army. "I built you. I gave you a purpose. I named you Jason Naught, and gave you life. And who do you repay me? With failure!" The man in the armor roared. Or at least he attempted to roar. His voice was still raspy and it came out sounding like gibberish. The man in the suit wisely chose not to laugh, even though the other man sounded ridiculous. "Be reasonable Dredd," Jason Naught replied, "I can't magically make TURBO energy appear." "No," Dredd snarled, "but you can search harder!" Before Naught could react, Dredd ran over and grabbed him in a chokehold and slammed him into the wall. "You will find me more TURBO Energy, or you shall perish. Next time you better return with some good news. Otherwise, you shall perish in a most undesirable way. Do you understand?" "Y-yes, I-I do," stammered Naught. "Good," rasped Dredd, letting Naught fall to the floor, "now go and find me more TURBO Energy, lest you know the true meaning of fear.